David Lu screamed into his pillow after logging into his ACT student account. The 17-year-old student at Caddo Magnet High School had taken the assessment, important for college admissions and scholarships, twice in one year. With his second try, he finally got the perfect score he craved — 36.

His parents, Wei Li and Xiaohong Lu, were asleep when he found out the results, so screaming into a pillow seemed the perfect reaction.

Lu didn't want to settle for a score of 35, so he prepared again for his final test in September.

And he's not the only Caddo Magnet High student to finish on top. Nathan Speakes,17, also scored a perfect 36. It's the second consecutive year that Caddo Magnet High has had two students score perfect ACT scores.

Both seniors received notice this fall about their scores. The students had prepared for the assessment for months and even years to earn the recognition.

Between them, they took the test a total of seven times in pursuit of perfect scores.

The fifth time was the charm for Speakes. He took the exam for the last time in October, hoping to beat his previous scores. In his earlier tries, the math portion of the exam kept him from receiving a 36, he said.

Speakes said his parents, Richard and Jaroslava Speakes, encouraged him to keep going.

"The first time I got a 34 and every time after that I got a 35. The first time I took it I was so close and I knew I was almost there, so I kept going," said Speakes, a quiet student who, at 6-foot-7, also enjoys playing basketball.

Speakes added, "The first time I took it I was pretty nervous and I didn't know what to expect."

Lu first took the ACT exam in March and received a 35 after "struggling" with the English portion. He took a second time in September.

"My parents are really proud, and I got a few presents for that," said Lu, a quiet teen who enjoys calligraphy as a hobby. "My junior year English teacher, Ms. (Barbara) McGuire, helped me a massive ton with English because of her grammar rules. At home, I did a lot of practice tests."

Lu said students should have the right mindset prior to taking the exam.

"Every time I go to a standardized test, I wake up and always put on my headphones and listen to music to get me really excited and pumped. Every time I go into a testing center, I'm pretty excited. (Nathan) saw me on Saturday (during the SAT exam) and I was sliding around because I was dancing. Sleep is definitely important."

Their principal, Michael Ilgenfritz, is proud of their achievement.

"They're driven, dedicated and had goals," he said. "David took an online practice test every night for two weeks prior that was three to four hours every night. As he took it, his score got better and better. Both of them have been preparing for this for at least four years."

Both students had more than one achievement this year.

Lu and Speakes were among eight other Caddo Magnet High School students named 2017 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. The names of finalists are to be announced in late January, Speakes said.

"We're kind of excited," both students said simultaneously.

Ilgenfritz said both students are humble. He said fewer than 3,000 students who took the exam nationwide in 2016 received a perfect score.

"I realize how rare it is and I get excited," he said. "I get up front of the parents trying to recruit (students) and I brag on them. I try to make them realize how rare it is. It's not just a coincidence, something is going on to make that happen here."

Fun facts:

Nearly 2.1 million high school graduates took the ACT in 2016, according to ACT data. A good score on the standardized test is key to getting into many top universities and to securing scholarships.

The test administered nationwide uses a 1-36 scale to identify students who meet the college-readiness benchmarks in mathematics, science, reading and English. Students have the opportunity to take the test throughout the school year, depending on grade level.